«I don’t need your contribution.» He stood up, his voice rising again. «I don’t need your discount store clothes, or your homemade dinners, or your constant tired face reminding me of where I came from. Do you know what Veronica said to me last week? She said I seemed weighed down, like I was carrying something heavy. And she’s right. I am carrying something heavy. This marriage.»
«You, Veronica, always Veronica. Are you sleeping with her?» I asked, the question falling from my lips before I could stop it.
«Does it matter?» He shot back. «Would it change anything? Grace, look at yourself. Look at your hands, your clothes, your entire life. You’re stuck in the past while I’m moving toward the future. Veronica understands ambition. She understands success. She belongs in my world.»
He shook his head slowly. «And you? You don’t.»
I stood there frozen as he walked to the closet and pulled out a suitcase.
«What are you doing?» I asked, though I already knew.
«I’ve been thinking about this for months,» he said, starting to pack clothes. «We’re not compatible anymore. We want different things. We’re different people now.»